Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1887-02-09
TRAVEL IN BOLIVIA.
An Adventurous Ride Through a
ThiDIy-Populated Country.

After busy day started down hill
for Macha, bound for Oruro. Ireached
there shortly after noon. Here even
my government order did not hurry me
OF. They had mules, but no postillion;
they were all out. At last bethought
myself OF the corregidor of the village.
L found him, but he told me that the
Indians were all of in the valley farm
ing. l invited him to take something
with me. Then began talking about
my business and against Chik, and
showed him my papers. That woke
him up. He sent out couple young
sters for one of the alcades at Quichoa.
Half an hour later l was on my way
rejoicing. L wanted to reach Aconca-
hua the same evening. All went well
Until L came to place where two trails
separated. My servant, with the bag
gage, was far behind, and was alone.
L took out my map. but only one road
was marked down. Looking at the sun
l went on. At $50 o'clock l reached
a large village. congratulated myself
on my fast riding. Entering the main
street l asked for the posthouse, but
was told that there was none. Then IT
occurred to me 10 ask the name of the
place. They gave me some outlandish
name. "Then this is not Aconcahua?"
l asked. ''Oh, no, sir: that place is
thirteen leagues from here" After
some diligent lnquiry-for it took much
trouble to find any one speaking Span
ish-I was told of short cut, an Indian
trail, which reduced the distance to
eight leagues. something had to be-
done. Here l was, in an Indian viii
lage, alone; my baggage with an Indian
| did not know, at the place L was
seeking. Using little boy as inter.
prefer | az last hired an Indian to act
as guide.
We started out at sunset, he afoot
and leading. pushed on as fast as my
tired mule would go. Such road |
had never dreamed of. Down we
would go into some canyon dark as
night, across stream, then up again.
We kept on until near midnight, when
We reached place of more level but
broken ground. Ny guide, whom
ever kept In front, stopped. told him
to go ahead. Three or four times he
stopped. Each time l urged him on
I confess l felt uneasy, but there was
only one thing to do-to go ahead. At
last we saw an Indian hut with out
houses. My Indian started for il, and
l concluded he wanted to stop here.
and urging my mule on headed him
of. At the same time pulled out my
revolver and ordered him forward. he
raised both hands, saying In the most
piteou5 manner: ''No. no." | felt
sorry for the poor fellow, aud thought
to myself: "go if you want to- He
slipped by and disappeared. l turned
my mule, expecting TO pick my way
alone. 1 went some live hundred yards,
10 find there was no trail. The moon
was nearly down and 1t was getting
dark. | returned to the inclosCre /
had just left, found au opening in the
wall, and led my tired-out animal in.
began to prospect. First l discovered
little door, | pushed it open and
found myself among a lot of goats.
This will not do" | thought. After
hunting around | saw bundle OF hay.
l took of the mules bride, and, re.
moving my poncho, prepared to spend
the night on the ground. OF a sudden
| heard shout. Looking in the di-
rection whence the sound came, l saw
IT was my Indian. Forgetting that
he could not understand me 1 shouted
back: "All night, old man; come here"
He did not move, bu. kept yelling and
po nting to the west. fixed my mule
up on the double-quick, mounted, dug
the spurs into her, and rode up to him.
He started of aad I followed behind
him.
Suddenly l saw two figures a2.
proach me from behind. IAN am-
bush," / thought. l quickly made a
half-circle with my mule. so as to
bring the three Indians-for such they
were-in front of me. At the same
time L brought my revolver to
''ready" under my poncho. As the
two Indians came nearer l recognized
a woman and girl. who, as l soon
learned, had got out Of bed to show me
the way. My revolver went back into
the holster, and l looked around to see
if they had noticed it. As a token of
repentance on my part 1 gave them
each chirol2. at a. II. We reached
Aconcahua, tired but happy. 1 gave
my Indian an extra dollar, so all ended
well. 1 then n .de myself a cup of
tea and went TO sleep. L made lazy
morning of it, getting off at Q O'Clock.
From here 20 Livichuea was mostly
down-hill. Some two miles from that
place l came to stream. My mule
wanted water. | got down and took
off the birdie. After drinking 1
pulled on the rein to bring the brute
nearer. 1t turned. reared, and kicked,
catching me on the left heel. l tried
to hold on, but the mule pulled back
She went one way, L fell into the
stream, and the saddle flew in another
direction. The ungrateful beast gal
loped OF toward the station. | picked
up nay saddle and struggled in, my foot
swelling already and paining me much.
1 was glad afterward l had put my
revolver away, for would have taken
a shot at that mule.
Early the next morning had fresh
animals prepared, had man to lift me
INTO the saddle, and made that day
tifty.one mfies to PeiZna. 1 reached
there tired, but my foot was much bet
ter. | had now reached the celebrated
pampa, which extends from here to near
La Paz. l had imagined this to be
long stretch of very level ground, but
soon found my mistake. l started
early In the morning. A light mist lay
over the plain. On the left there ap-
psared large lake. At first took
this to be Lake POopo, but it was only
a mirage. AT first saw hillocks ap-
parently hanging in the air. The next
point reached was Poopo. A silver
mine is worked there, giving good re-
turns. They have also reduction-works
driven by water power. The mine is
short distance east of the road, in
chain of hills running due north and
south. The groupings can be plainly
traced long distance From this
point north we meet another tribe of
Indians, the Aymaras. They are dis
tinct from the Qnichoas, and L consider
them inferior to them. morose. and